Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!gegeweb.org!de-l.enfer-du-nord.net!feeder2.enfer-du-nord.net!cs.uu.nl!news.stack.nl!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed3.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.015 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.97; '*S*': 0.00; 'python.': 0.02; 'run- time': 0.05; 'strict': 0.07; 'subject: [': 0.09; 'subtle': 0.09; 'boolean': 0.16; 'bucket': 0.16; 'declarations': 0.16; 'elephant': 0.16; 'expecting': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'ignoring': 0.16; 'integer,': 0.16; 'subject:"]': 0.16; 'unexpectedly': 0.16; 'language': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'code.': 0.18; 'wed,': 0.18; 'subject:problem': 0.24; 'source': 0.25; 'pass': 0.26; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'function': 0.29; 'am,': 0.29; 'compared': 0.30; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'accidentally': 0.31; 'constant': 0.31; 'object.': 0.31; 'totally': 0.33; 'could': 0.34; 'subject:with': 0.35; 'received:209.85': 0.35; 'received:209.85.220': 0.35; 'johnson': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'really': 0.36; 'method': 0.36; 'wrong': 0.37; 'list': 0.37; 'received:209': 0.37; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'even': 0.60; 'around.': 0.60; 'most': 0.60; 'conversion': 0.61; 'subject:The': 0.64; 'it!': 0.67; 'believe': 0.68; 'float,': 0.84; 'room.': 0.84; 'subjected': 0.84; 'try,': 0.84; 'wrong!': 0.84; 'rick': 0.93; '2013': 0.98 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=ytAEJncAz7n5KRHEZ7dKiEEUtxxLa5Xch8gAlHFFUWA=; b=IAg1mdx7iG3RBj8Jf4lZHl3SxyQ50i7EF9QI451N6SIPms6Dz0y7TN9daWm08lMR/4 YDCW21kzay/G9wb8dnZVbBnwq616oD7E1/AuOsjjtE7uZiu45OESddiIXU63YPAVhbux 31300gPJ9FqQixxNqSPWdjUPrG5lg0sHXq5SYA3+UP+ndqeW/1x9/GzHOfSUkOxVH5jt RUcUAUrmNHxqqVUGIAHR/pWiZoXvLCAZguxEB8ePxG3tjmSIzGqfMjDDaRBsn20+TnoK xXfXC3+5PUeogMPONXQ4I0g3b/a3WCCzLuUaVOw2XXFXitQlLBUODfs6k+B0F7S2fGJO v9Nw== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.52.121.99 with SMTP id lj3mr15808143vdb.52.1370361644303; Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:00:44 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: <687dea63-84da-4c45-9366-cb5a10665d1f@googlegroups.com> <51ab95d5$0$29966$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <51ad7daf$0$11118$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com> Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2013 02:00:44 +1000 Subject: Re: Bools and explicitness [was Re: PyWart: The problem with "print"] From: Chris Angelico To: python-list@python.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 19 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1370361647 news.xs4all.nl 15866 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:51569 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:46930 On Wed, Jun 5, 2013 at 1:44 AM, Rick Johnson wrote: > But we are really ignoring the elephant in the room. Implict > conversion to Boolean is just a drop in the bucket compared > to the constant "shell game" we are subjected to when > reading source code. We so naively believe that a symbol > named "lst" is a list object or a symbol "age" is a integer, > when we could be totally wrong! This is the source of many > subtle bugs!!! You know, if you want a language with strict type declarations and extreme run-time efficiency, there are some around. I think one of them might even be used to make the most popular Python. Give it a try, you might like it! There's NO WAY that you could accidentally pass a list to a function that's expecting a float, NO WAY to unexpectedly call a method on the wrong type of object. It would suit you perfectly! ChrisA